(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for displaying flowers. In particular, it relates to apparatus for displaying small potted plants at bedside for patients in hospitals.
(2) Description of Prior Art
Small potted plants have always been a favorite gift to cheer up bedridden patients in hospitals. When displayed in sick rooms, the blooms of the plants are not really seen to their full advantage by the patient because the blooms are straight up. The pot containing the small plant is usually placed on a shelf, window sill or on a nearby piece of furniture where the plant is seen only in profile by the patient.
There have been various display stands developed in the prior art but none appear to meet the needs of the bed-ridden patient as efficiently and economically as does the present invention. Early plant stands, such as that of Loudon (1920), were large, complicated, expensive and required tools for some adjustments. Objectives of these earlier inventions were to gain more advantage of the sunlight and to provide better viewing at flower shows. Other early display apparatus, such as that of Mueller (1926), combined a vase and a display rack to facilitate the showing of cut flowers on one hand or a plant on the other hand. Support methods contained many parts, were crude in construction, often unstable, and due to their bulk or design, suitable only for placement on a floor rather than at eye level.
Most of the prior art stands were not light and "stackable" for storage, as is provided in the present invention. Also most prior art devices contained two or more parts as opposed to the single integral unit of the present invention. Holders from other arts are not suitable to meet the objectives of the present invention because these holders were designed for utilitarian purposes, rather than for displays, and had no esthetic appeal.
Later apparatus, such as Colombini's Plant Receptacle (1956), had many parts and was designed for knock-down and quick assembly. Easy shipment at reduced rates and interchangeability of parts were the objectives, rather than improved display for a viewer. His receptacle resembled a wheelbarrow and would be far too large for hospital use where only limited space, such as shelves, window sills or tops of furniture, are available for displaying small potted plants. Black (1966) approached the problem by means of external devices for fastening to pots. External bracing consisting of heavy wire was used in conjunction with a collar having a plurality of recesses. This bracing means lacked in simplicity and stability of the present invention.
One more recent displayholder for artificial flowers required the use of auxiliary supports such as peg boards and internal grid work (Thalenfeld--1973). Prior art known to this inventor includes the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,336,307, 4/1920, Loudon; 1,502,385, 7/1924, Hauenstein; 1,572,444, 2/1924, Mueller; 2,563,405, 9/1951, O'Malley; 2,764,845, 10/1956, Colombini; 2,781,065, 2/1957, Hofacer; 3,262,665, 7/1966, Black; 3,711,048, 1/1973, Thalenfeld; 3,831,209, 8/1974, Clingman.